Counter Projection
by Slayer Anderson
Summary: She hated the thief, hated him for taking her father away, hated him for being the one that her father chased after, paid attention to, stood constant vigilance for…she honestly couldn't say when she first thought of putting on the costume.T for language.


Slayer Anderson

Counter Projection Ver. II

A Magic Kaito/Detective Conan Fanfiction

08/23/10

Summary: She hated the thief, hated him for taking her father away, hated him for being the one that her father chased after, paid attention to, stood constant vigilance for…she honestly couldn't say when she first thought of putting on the costume.

*A/N: Just a quick note; I'm _not_ a psych major. I'm not a psychologist. I'm not a police profiler. If you want proper detailed psych analysis, go buy a textbook and enroll in the next doctorate program you find. That said, if you'd like to read this fic, please don't nitpick my use of wiki-psych. If I _do_ grossly misuse terminology, though, feel free to call me on it. Also, I've never read the Magic Kaito Manga, so bear with me on a few other things as well.

~Have a Nice Read,

Slayer

* * *

Friedrich Nietzsche:

_"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you."

* * *

_

Chapter 1 - Kaitou Duets: Shafts of Moonlight

* * *

Grins and Shadow.

A flutter of wings.

A shifting mirage at the edge of their mind.

The Master Actor.

The King of the Stage.

The Star of the Show.

"Damn you Thief!"

Flashing laughter, twisting dances of light and illusion as the Task Force fell over each other chasing after the white-clad figure. That grin, that horrible, obnoxious _grin_ on that smug, _smug_ face that made Nakamori scream in outrage and frustration each time he fell _inches_ short of his goal. The sounds of struggles rang out through the cavernous museum as the latest Kaitou heist went into full swing, bodies hitting the grounding as knock-out gas sprayed from tiny pellets and enormous crashes of cacophonous noise erupted in tandem with paralyzing and dazzling light shows from flash-bangs.

Grin.

Twirl.

Bow.

_And…flutter the cape juuuuuuust right!_

"Not again! You won't get away this time, you damn thief!" Nakamori howled like an angry wolf giving pursuit, his only response another infuriating grin and an explosion of confetti as he captured a duplicate. The thief, out of sight for just a moment, gloried in the attention…center stage, standing proud. The smile turned tender and soft for a scant second, before flashing back to that predatory grin as a newbie officer raised an alarm from behind her.

_Silly keisatsu-kun!_

An experienced member of the Force would have tried to sneak up from the back and catch the thief unawares. Of course, it wasn't like _that_ worked either…

Onto the banister and _sliiiiiiiiide…!_

More laughter, still honest and amused as the thief perfectly matched each step to its pattern. The white-clad figure didn't look up, didn't need to as the top-hat hung on tightly to its perch. Nowadays the thief didn't check to see who was watching…there was only one member of the audience that bore any importance and he'd _always_ be watching, nevertheless…it didn't hurt to think good thoughts and keep grinning like a madman!

_Watch me Dad! Watch, this show is for you and _only_ you!_

Hook the chandelier and…

_Always wanted to try this!_

Swinging crystal and bright lights as the thief's audience gasped. The telltale of snapshots told a few reporters sneaking their way into the crime scene _and_ tomorrow's paper. An image of a white-suit, top-hat and all, hands gripping a golden chandelier as the figure dropped down, flipping and sliding for the exit like an acrobatic baseball player trying for the home plate. A gloved hand discretely pressed a remote and…

_Snick-sssssss!_

A cloud of white smoke obscured the room.

"I'd like to thank the tireless devotees of law and order for coming out tonight, especially Nakamori-keibu; let's give him a _biiiig_ round of applause! I'm afraid, though, that tonight's little chase has come to its end. Good night and pleasant dreams, Ladies and Gentlemen!"

When the smoke cleared, the thief was gone.

Nakamori didn't know why he was surprised, but the scream of important rage that tore through his throat did relieve _some_ of the stress caused by his latest failure. Closing his eyes, the policeman snarled away his last regret and turned to the mess that the museum had become under his watch. _Another late night…I'm so sorry Aoko, I guess I won't make it home for your birthday this year either._

"Kaitou Joan, I swear, you'll pay for that broken promise," Nakamori Ginzo spat as he dug free his cell phone.

"_Moshi-Moshi!"_

"Ah…Aoko-chan, I'm not gonna' be home until the morning. The museum's a wreck and that damn Kaitou just disappeared on me _again_-" Ginzo started, his purpled complexion souring the conversation.

"Dad, its okay! I understand how important your job is, and how long you've been chasing the first one and this new %*# thief," Aoko stated offhandedly.

"Language sweetie," Ginzo reprimanded lightly, not forcing the issue when he rightfully agreed with the sentiment. "We'll have dinner tomorrow after all the paperwork is done and I've gotten a little sleep. Oh…and, your present's under my bed at the house."

"I'll wait till tomorrow to open it," Aoko said tiredly as a loud grinding noise filled the receiver, the screech of metal plainly apparent.

"Aoko? Where are you…what was that?" Ginzo asked, concern in his voice.

"Ah…sorry, dad, that was the TV. Someone just crushed an evil robot in a metal press. Guess I had the volume too loud." A deep yawn. "Well, I'm going to head on to bed now, night."

"Alright," Ginzo agreed, accepting the explanation easily. "I'm sorry again honey."

"I'm okay dad," Aoko replied warmly, "be safe."

"I will."

_Click!_

Ginzo sighed. Well, at least she wasn't watching the fiasco of the latest Kaitou heist. Still, he shook his head in a dejected way that only nostalgia can bring up. "Evil robots! Why, in my day we had decent television, none of this gunk on nowadays!"

"Uh…sir?" One of the grunts asked, somewhat understandably reticent to disturb Nakamori 'The Volcano' Ginzo during a tirade, even if the subject was inane.

"Ah, right," Ginzo grunted, turning back to the mess and sighing.

* * *

In the freight elevator beneath him, roughly fifty feet, a young woman with practically luminescent blond hair grinned in the shadowy illumination of her cell phone. A white domino mask obscured her facial feature enough to prevent certain identification and, even if someone managed to penetrate both that and the wide brim of her white top-hat, they would be looking for a platinum blond. As soon as she managed to get a shower…there wouldn't even be _that_ to identify her.

"Don't worry dad," Kaitou Joan said softly, appreciating the glimmer of the emerald in between her thumb and forefinger by the LCD display. "I had a great birthday. Granted, I'd like a smaller party, but you _insisted_ on bringing all your friends…ah, well, maybe next year."

Grinning at her own joke, the Phantom Thief stood and made her way to a hidden ventilation duct in a derelict corner of the basement museum storage room. "I'd love to take the skyway home, but I'm not really in a mood for that long of a chase. Besides, this way I get the dramatic disappearance…and I know how you just _love_ those, right dad?"

Choking a snicker, the thief pulled the vent back into place behind her and shimmied down the narrow rectangular tunnel. She'd taken great care in the last week to clean the wretched old vent out, but even an industrial Kaitou-cleaning wasn't enough to get all of the rust and miscellaneous dead insects out from all the nooks and crannies. "&^#! air ducts! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get stains out of this outfit!"

Two hundred feet of choking darkness and tightness later, the thief pushed against a seeming solid wall, only for it to give way into a much larger and well-lit space. A century-old switch box from an electrical grid that barely even existed anymore lay across the room, the innards having been ripped open to allow several appliances to be relayed through it.

Grabbing the percolating coffee and drinking it straight from the pot, the thief put the piece of wall back into place and dropped into a somewhat moth-eaten love-seat with a tired sigh. _Heist successful, time for all tired Kaitous to get some sleep…_

_ Or not._

Sighing even more deeply, the thief took another deep swallow of caffeine and sat up, looking about the temporary safe room with a trained eye. None of her 'thief stuff' had any...incriminating evicdence on it…well, at least not anything that made it out of Kaitou Central. All the same, though, she really prefer not to leave anything behind.

"I guess old habits die hard. Now I've got enough money to buy all-new equipment after every job and I still salvage every bit and piece I can. I guess I'm an eco-conscious Kaitou too, now…okay! Let's get this show on the road!" With her pronouncement made, the thief started loading up gear, snapping a glow-stick as she made her way out of the room and sliding a sheet of scrap metal over the doorway, camouflaging it on the extreme off-chance that someone happened to be taking a stroll down here. Granted, she was already below the usual hangouts for the homeless and gangs, but…

"One doesn't become a thief without being properly paranoid," The Phantom Thief whispered to herself. "Well, at least, not a _good_ thief."

Consulting the detailed mental map she possessed of this area, the thief took a downward ramp, then a left, and finally a right, navigating the access corridors for the old Tokyo water supply system with a casual and familiar ease. Deeper into the bowels of the Earth, and now sure that no one would find her, the thief started to hum a new-age pop song, popping open false walls and fake tunnel partitions until, finally, the thief and her luggage came to a completely normal-looking piece of wall. The dead-end looked particularly uninviting, in fact, rusted metal in jagged shapes were strewn throughout the pile of rubble blocking access to the actual wall. The thief smiled and stepped up a makeshift ramp of sheet metal that looked distinctly unsteady.

It _looked_ unsteady, at least.

Walking up the ramp, the Phantom Thief reached out to a decrepit fuse box, spinning each ancient fuse with years of practice. The tiny _tinks_ of tumblers fell into place behind the fuse box as all six numbers were placed into the disguised set of combination locks. Closing the lid, a two-by-one foot rectangle of wall behind the fuse box popped open on a hinge. Giving a last scan of the tunnel behind her, the thief slid her luggage in and then shimmied her way through, pulling the block of wall closed behind her, leaving her underground highway dead and silent.

On the other side of the wall, the thief finally shed her mask. A trail of other clothing dropped away along her path; the infamous white coat, red tie, blue shirt, cape, top hat, and white slacks and dress shoes. Finally, a pair of functional underwear hit the ground as the blonde stepped into what looked to be a public restroom. Inside, white tiles gave way to a single shower setting next to a massive _furo_ complete with opulent water massage jets set into the tub.

As water cascaded over her, the thief lathered a handful of creamy fluid, the blonde color draining down as sheet after sheet of water arched into her. A long, tired, _sore_ sigh erupted from her, tight and torn muscles relaxing after a thrilling, but relentless night of theft and general running amuck among.

Finally, finally, _finally_, Aoko Nakamori slid into the waiting _furo_, turning the jets up to max as their pressure beaded pleasantly along aching bands of bruised flesh. "Okay…I admit that the hot tub may have been silly, a waste of time, money, and even crazy…but _damn_ does it feel good."

Grabbing a remote that sat on the edge of the _furo_, Aoko flipped on a beat-up old radio, it's ancient speakers crackling to life as it received the signal from the remote-adapter she'd jerry-rigged. A pleasantly bubblegum pop song blasted out, numbing her overtaxed mind and dropping her into a near-coma of pleasant sensations and ultimate relaxation. Minutes or hours later, she wasn't sure how much time had passed, the music cut off abruptly.

…_We interrupt your scheduled broadcast tonight, Tokyo, for breaking news. The Phantom Thief known as Kaitou Joan has successfully absconded with the Tiger's Eye Emerald, a gem on loan from a private collection. The Kaitou Task Force prevented the theft of any other museum property, but was once again unable to capture the Phantom Thief. We'd also like to report that there has been a heist note which is confirmed to be from the Legend Himself…_

Aoko's eyes shot open, her body jerking upright…_No! Nonononononono!_

_Kaito Kid has, after eight years, reemerged to the forefront of the international crime scene! Originally known as Kaitou 1412, similar to the female Phantom Thief who appeared nearly one year ago, the numerical designation had reportedly been deciphered by famous novelist Kudo Yusaku. Kaitou 'Kid' had apparently died or retired after his last heist, does this notice mean he's finally coming out of retirement? For those unfamiliar with the recent developments around the new, female, Phantom Thief plaguing Tokyo, this person has been confirmed to be a different individual than either the original Kaitou Kid or the little-known Phantom Lady who's career ended shortly before Kid's own debut. To distinguish between the two generations and different genders of the prominent Phantom Thieves, the woman who introduced herself as Kaitou 1412 has been given the codename 'Kaitou Joan' or 'Phantom Thief Joan' by law enforcement, owing to the Gregorian calendar year in which the famous female warrior and saint Joan of Arc was born. It is startling to find that, even with so many years having past, the original Kaitou Kid has returned, but what could possibly be his objective?_

Aoko's hand tightened on the remote, her face a contortion of anger and rage. She _knew_ what the damn thief wanted! Now that she'd finally been able to catch her father's eye…_he_ was going to come back, just like that, like he'd never even vanished? Walk right back into their lives?

And he didn't think there would be consequences?

_ Of course, his heist note indicates a diamond known as the Cat's Eye…but, could he really be after his reputation? Is this a challenge from the former reigning champion of the Eastern Crime World, the 'Heisei Lupin,' to the newcomer Kaitou Joan? Or, possibly, is this another contender for the title of Phantom Thief? Could a _third_ mystery thief now be in the running for the prestigious, yet infamous, title? This reporter, for one, feels nothing but anticipation for what promises to be, at the very least, an interesting meeting between two fabled criminals!_

Aoko breathed deeply, Kaitou Joan swirling up from within her, riding a chill midnight breeze and smiling that unshakeable smile. Immediately, anger dropped away like so many seemingly small concerns of her daily life. Homework, upcoming projects and tests, that dance she'd been wanting to attend…in the Kaitou's eyes it was all unimportant drivel, something to give a devil-may-care grin at and nothing more…

Secure in the safety of her base, the Kaitou could wear the young Nakamori's face with impunity, not bother with those pesky problems, and get down to business. Giving another grin to herself, Kaitou Joan stepped our from the _furo_ where Aoko had stepped in. The easy predatory gait that reeked of a professional life well-acquainted with danger; yes, she'd have to face the Legend himself, _that_ _man_ from her nightmares, but she wasn't that crying child anymore either. He might be the things fairy tales are made of, might have twenty _times_ her experience, but he was still a _Kaitou_, and she was too

She was Kaitou Joan…

And she'd face him in true Phantom Thief fashion.

* * *

_I am not worried._

_ I am not worried._

_ Even if I _were _worried, it wouldn't _mean_ anything. I'd be worried because we're childhood friends, because she's no fun to tease when she's in a bad mood, and because…because…_

"She looked like she'd been crying," Kaito said softly, his voice a deep sigh as he rested his chin on his templed hands. It wasn't a pleasant thing, knowing that you'd made a girl like Nakamori Aoko, someone who you'd known for more than a dozen years, cry…though he had the oddest feeling it wasn't particularly _him_ that had made the damn break. Still…

_She didn't have to hit me so hard._

"_Sensei_, may I be excused to the nurse?" Kaitou asked plaintively, being sure to add just a bit of wheedling to his voice. The educator glared at the resident troublemaker before nodding once. While she wasn't exactly _sure_ that he would, indeed, go to the nurse's station, she would at least have an uninterrupted class until he returned. Besides, there was the off chance that he would be going after Aoko-chan…and she looked like she could use a friend right now. Troublemaker or not, Kuroba-kun was a good student and a good person.

The teacher still checked her seat for a whoopee cushion before sitting, though.

She was nice, not naïve.

* * *

"I didn't think it would make you cry."

Aoko smothered a teary smile. When dealing with Kuroba Kaito, that was about the closest thing you got to an honest apology. Aoko sighed from her perch on the edge of the school's roof, looking out despondently over the campus below. "Kaito, I'd really like to be alone right now."

From behind her, she heard the closing of a door and, though she'd hoped Kaito would take her words at face value she was somewhat glad to hear the cat-like padding of her friend's soft steps approaching. As always, the Kaitou behind the mask of Nakamori Aoko bristled at the approach before calming; Kaito's familiar presence sliding past the Phantom Thief's natural defenses.

_A Kaitou has two eyes in the back of their head: one real and one filled with knockout gas._

"I could make myself disappear," Kaito offered, the smile obvious.

Aoko gave a small snort of laughter, "Can you _ever_ be serious, Kaito?"

"I'd like to think that my sense of humor is one of my charms," Kaito shrugged, leaning against the roof's guardrail next to his friend. "Aoko," he started somewhat uneasily, "If this is about the…ah, panty-flash-thing, I really am sorry."

"Not that I don't appreciate you apologizing," Aoko replied, still looking into the distance, "Or that I don't think you shouldn't say you're sorry _every_ time you do something stupid…but, it's not about that."

"Oh," Kaito said, mentally sighing in relief, but verbally stumbling at the revelation. "You didn't have to hit me _that_ hard, then."

"And I'm sorry for it," Aoko returned. "You just caught me a bad time, Kaito. What with the heist last night and Kid's note…"

"Ah," Kaito intoned, nodding in understanding. "So…he's back?"

"I don't know," Aoko said, shaking her head despondently. "It might be an imposter or someone like Kaitou Joan. After everything she's put Dad through, I can't say she's a _fake_ exactly, but she's not _real_, if you know what I mean."

"I guess," Kaito shrugged noncommittally. "She's an amazing magician, I know that much, but the original's supposed to be…"

Aoko sighed, repressing the flush of appreciation from Kaito's compliment. "I don't know if I want him to be the original or not, though. I mean, if it is…1412, the Kid, then my Dad has an old score to settle with him. He's…obsessed with the Kid-"

_And you aren't?_ A little voice whispered in the back of her mind.

"-I _hate_ the Kid," Aoko continued. "But Dad _loves_ to hate the kid. If it's a fake that sent the notice, he'll be so disappointed, but if it's real, then he's _back._"

"_Loves _to _hate_?" Kaito asked, spinning a coin in his fingers idly. "Kind of like you, me, and the mop, huh?"

Aoko cheeks reddened to a pinkish hue, "Very funny, but…Kaito, you should have seen him this morning! Kaitou Joan keeps him on his toes, but it looked like that note had taken ten years away. He was practically _giddy_!"

"Scary thought," Kaito muttered. "Isn't it good, though, that he's excited, I guess?"

"But if he's _fake_, then…" Aoko sobered, "Kaito, do you remember what he was like, right after Kaitou Kid disappeared…after that night Kid was shot? He came home drunk every night for months after. The only thing that actually brought him back to the real world was mom leaving, and even then…he still wasn't the same."

"Man, and I thought _my_ life was difficult," Kaito smiled somewhat sadly, a sardonic glimmer in his eye.

"I _know_," Aoko spat, "But then there's the fact that I hate the Kid…I don't _really_ want him to have died back then, and I want my dad to be happy, but…Kaito, he _stole_ so much of my father when I was younger. Dad missed birthdays, Christmases, school plays…I barely remember him being involved in my life at all! I can understand, now, that it was as much my _Dad's_ decision to spend his time there instead of with his family, but…"

"…to a kid who's Dad doesn't come home, they need someone to blame." Kaito said softly, and Aoko, just realizing where the conversation had gone, raised hand to her mouth in horror.

"Kaito, I-I didn't mean to…your father, I'm _so_ sorry."

Kaito shrugged her concern off gently with a soft smile. "Aoko, I know it's not the same thing, but I _do_ understand what it's like to lose a parent. I mean, we've known each other since we were little kids and you practically lived at my house while your dad was getting it back together after your mom left…I guess I just don't like to see you cry."

Aoko sniffled slightly and wiped at her slightly red-rimmed eyes, "Thanks, Kaito." _Even though I've lied to you so much…you're always there for me._

"And anyway," _flip, the feeling of cool air under her skirt, _"You're _so_ much more fun when you're back to normal!"

Cheek muscle twitching.

Hand clenching.

Teeth grinding.

Kaito's Joker's Grin firmly in place as he leapt backwards. "KUROBA!"

Aoko tried to keep the fiercely happy predatory smile off her face, she really did, but somehow the looks she received from her classmates for the rest of the day told her she'd failed.

* * *

Kaitou Central.

During the turn of the last century Tokyo had developed one of the earliest, but primative, subway systems in the Eastern world. The tunnels underneath the rapidly changing capital of Japan were a step up from the pneumatic transit lines which New York had installed a decade prior, and possessed all of the extravagance the economic boom times could afford. Brass and Bronze shone like gold alongside richly colored old growth banisters and stairways lacquered and finely polished to the fullest extent of the day. The premiere Imperial Station was the crown jewel of the complex, hosting several world leaders from around the globe in its hay day. Still, as all good things do, their time passed eventually.

Due to the nature of the constructions and the depth at which they were built, far below the traditional level in an effort to stave off damage from earthquakes, it was considered unsafe by the population and fell out of use after the great Kanto earthquake. After the corporation went bankrupt, the state took possession of all the unused tunnels and closed them up to keep vagrants and the homeless out of potentially dangerous areas. Forty years later and the firebombing of WWII erased the paper trail that had already been mostly forgotten by that period.

So, like many previous underground creations, Tokyo's first subway system was forgotten and left to rot…

To anyone who wasn't a _Kaitou_.

Aoko sighed, laying back on a threadbare couch in the middle of the lavish former Imperial Station, now _Kaitou Central_, thinking on the events of the last few days. "Dad always said, 'Once is luck, twice is coincidence…and there's no such thing as coincidence.'"

And the Kaitou Kid had come, stolen, and escaped.

_Twice_.

_The laugh, the pizzazz, the elegant twirl of the cape! He's either the best imposter that there's ever been or…a master thief come back from the dead._

"AAAAAARRRRGGGGGH!"

Utterly and completely frustrated, Aoko scowled at the artistically decorated ceiling, the hundred-year-old mosaics declining to answer her questions. "He's really, really, _really_ back!"

_And dad looked so happy!_

_ There were _tears_ in his eyes!_

If she was honest, it had hurt in a completely illogical and nonsensical way to have her father so happy to see someone who had caused their family so much pain and heartache. Still, her feelings were…mixed, at best, on the topic of Kaitou Kid. It was a bitter truth that, no matter the arena, he was _better_ than her. _She_ was a fairly good thief, a good master of disguise, and a gifted escape artist. The Kaitou Kid, though…

He was _magic_.

He had twenty _years_ worth of experience on her, he was a _natural_ at disguise, he _breathed_ thievery, and he could escape a pair of handcuffs blindfolded…and she _wasn't_ making that up. There had been one time where he'd actually allowed himself to get captured, chained up, and hauled off just so he could steal the new chief inspector's diamond award pin for a decade of service.

Her dad had gotten a wee bit upset with the thief that night.

Belatedly, she realized the Phantom's Mask had slid into place over her face, the grin threatening to permanently damage her cheek muscles. Aoko snorted, closing her eyes as she painstakingly peeled back the Phantom's Mask…

_Tsk, tsk, Aoko-chan, Nakamori-keibu would be very upset if his daughter came home smiling like a lunatic!_

"Quiet you," Aoko sighed exasperatedly, pointedly ignoring the laughter echoing distantly around her.

It was only in her head, after all.

Steeling herself, Aoko leapt up from the couch, pacing over to her work bench as her mind spun with possibilities. She didn't really have any idea how to go about dealing with the Kid right now, so it would be business as usual. Pick a priceless work of art, steal said artwork/gem/ect…, and then decide whether or not to keep said artifact. Granted, most of what she illicitly garnered went back to their owners, but every now and then there was something so enchantingly beautiful that she couldn't bear to part with it. Well, either that or she was nearly flat broke and needed the cash. Aoko rolled her eyes at the last thought…

"Even a Phantom Thief needs a paycheck now and then."

Thirty minutes later, Aoko…or, rather _Joan_, had a target.

"Now…a riddle…and how should Nakamori-_keibu_ receive said heist note?"

Yes, this was _Kaitou Joan_, not Nakamori Aoko. Only the thief would refer to her father as Nakamori-_keibu_ and not 'Dad.' Granted, between that and the whole 'hearing voices' thing, she was getting more and more worried about her sanity as the days passed. But…

"A Kaitou's life is fraught with peril and danger," Joan snickered.

And the _Kamen no Kaitou _slid into place.

* * *

Nakamori Ginzo was a simple man.

_Was_ a simple man, past tense, of course.

Before the %*^ Phantom Thieves, that is.

When he had first been appointed to the Kaitou Task Force, Nakamori thought it would be only a matter of weeks, _months_ at the most, before he'd have the white-clad thief behind bars. It wouldn't be easy, it wouldn't be simple, but it could be done, eventually. To this day, he still believed that…

It could be done.

It _would_ be done.

Eventually.

But now, as the Inspector sat looking at his desk, sweat beaded on his brow, he cursed to all the nine hells the two damning missives resting on the hard oak surface. His famous scowl deepened even further as he looked over the attached notes from his own investigative crew. By now they were the most experienced heist-riddle-busting group of individuals in the entirety of Japan…

And, of course, the notes had arrived in his inter-office mail, _without _postmarks or any identifying features such as printer signatures, fingerprints, or a shred of incriminating evidence that he could use to pin anything on anyone. Ginzo growled under his breath, now cursing the two Phantom Thieves which had, no doubt, been summoned from the bowels of the Earth just to _piss_ _him off._ His frown deepened as he looked over the details of the attached notes, analyzing each and every piece of information that was grudgingly given up by the ingenious riddles.

Still, he could find no fault in any of his men's detailed lines of inquiry. Nakamori sighed deeply as the knock on his office door sounded loudly. This marked yet another turning point in the illustrious history of the Kaitou Kid task force alongside such memorable and heart attack-inducing moments as the first Kid's disappearance in a cloud of bloody mist, the reappearance of _a_ Kaitou-the Phantom Thief Joan, and, now, the reappearance of the original _bastard_ himself.

"Come in."

The young man, about his own age when he had started, stepped in and saluted stiffly. It was obvious the man was uncomfortable, being called before such a legendary fire-breather as the head of Division Three's Kaitou Task Force with little explanation.

"At ease, Detective Wataru."

A marginal relaxation of certain muscle groups, but overall he was still strained for action. Good. The boy would need constant vigilance in a Kid heist.

"I suppose you're wondering why I've asked you here today," Nakamori stated, a firm frown plastered on his face.

"Ah, yes sir."

Nakamori took some perverse gratification in the young man's rapid eye movement as he, most likely, tried to determine any possible offense he could have committed. "Megure recommended you as one of the brightest up and coming members of the Force, complimenting your deductive skills and your ability to think on your feet. Now, I'm sure you've heard of the recent resurgence in Kaitou activity. Phantom Thief Joan and now the Kaitou Kid's return has necessitated an expansion of the Kaitou Task Force and, as such, there is an opening for new, talented individuals…"

Takagi blinked owlishly.

"I know you're from violent crimes, Wataru-san, but you're also adaptive, intelligent, and detail-oriented…regrettably, these are also the skills of Phantom Thieves. For all that they're criminals, they're _geniuses_, never forget that. Both the original and Joan are performers at heart…their magic might be all smoke and mirrors, but they know how to trick you into _thinking_ it's real and that's what's important."

Takagi was still blinking.

"A _Katiou_ does have some…rules," Nakamori said distastefully. "They think that makes them better than other thieves. It doesn't, and that's the second thing you should never forget: these are thieves. No matter how pompous and showy, at the end of the day, they're thieves."

Takagi felt himself nodding.

Nakamori glared. "Well boy, get your notebook out! How do you expect to lead part of the task force if you can't remember all of this!"

Takagi twitched and fumbled the small black book out of his pocket before stopping abruptly and looking, with wide eyes, "Bu-But, Nakamori-_keibu_, I can't-"

"You certainly _can_," Nakamori growled. "I need someone to take care of Joan while I head up the Kaitou Kid Force and that's _you_ Lieutenant! Megure signed off on your transfer from Violent Crimes Division One yesterday and we have heists to plan for later this month! _You_ have _twenty-three_ days to memorize everything about Kaitou Joan in the police archives. I'll be across town dealing with the Kid so you'll be on your own-"

Takagi twitched nervously.

"-We'll call it a trial by fire," Nakamori stated, finally grinning at the gaping and alarmed former detective.

* * *

Ah, another day, another fanfic...and now I'm writing in the Detective Conan Universe, surprise!

For those of you who know me, this is as much a surprise to me as to you. I was half-way through the next chapter of Hive Minded when a chibi tantei and a white-clad Kaitou walked into my room and demanded some attention. Reluctantly, I submit my new venture into another universe. If you have questions or comments, my PM is off, but my email address is available so feel free to use it. Anything you're wondering about may eventually be explained, but short questions and comments sent in reviews may be answered at the end of each new chapter.

Good Readings-

Slayer A.


End file.
